Hand-grenade



H. E. ASBURY.

4 HAND GRENADE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9.191s.

Patented July 29, 1919.

"UNITED STATES rATEnT oFFIoE.

HARRY E. ASB'URY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

II-IAND-GRENADE.

Application filed May 9, 1916. Serial No. 96,336. v

To all whom it may whom: I

Be it known that I, HARRY E. Ascuiir, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Hand-Grenades, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to handv grenades, and consists of certain improvements in the structures forming the subject of my pendingapplications, filed February 18, 1916, Serial Numbers 79,139 and 79,140. In the form of grenades illustrated and described in said applications, means are provided for cocking a plurality of latches controlling the operation of a firing pin, preliminary to the release of said firing pin by the displacement of the latches. Under ordinary circumstances, the grenade must be thrown after the latches have been cocked since, otherwise, it is necessary to hold the cocking member in latch-retaining position to support the firing pin in the inactive position.

The object of my present invention is to provide means for maintaining the cocking or releasing member in latch-retaining position after the latches have been cocked, should it be unnecessary or undesirable to throw the grenade. For this purpose I provide a locking-pin for engagement with the cooking member, which locking-pin in turn is held in the locking position by a safety pin; said locking'pin and the safety retaining pin being readily releasable when the grenade is to be thrown.

These and other features of my invention are more fully described hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1, is a View in elevation partly in section, of a hand grenade, showing locking means for holding the externally operable cocking member in the normal safety position when it is not desired to hurl the grenade;

i Fig. 2, is a sectional view showing the locking device in the inactive position and the cooking member and firing pin holding latches released, and 7 Fig. 3, is a sectional view on the line III-III, Fig. 1, illustrating the position of the locking pin and the safety retaining pin therefor with respect to the screw plug closing the end of the grenade shell.

The grenade is of the same or substantially the same character as that illustrated in my pending application before referred Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1919;

to, comprising a shell 1 made of cast metal,

iron for instance, which may be scored or. grooved externally; some of said scores or grooves being indicated at 2, so that upon bursting due to the explosion of contained material, the shell will separate into a number of fragments.

lVithin the shell a casing 6 is mounted, having a chamber 7 for the reception of a firing pin 8 to which motion may be transmitted by a coiled spring 9 when said firing pin is released; such spring being normally compressed and held in the compressed condition with the firing pin by means hereinafter described.

Adjacent the casing 6 is a casing 10 form ing a tubular chamber 11, which contains a detonating cap. 12, while below the chamber 7 of said casing is an anvil member 13. At the rear end of the grenade shell, I provide ashoulder 15 for the reception of a disklike member or plate 16, which is apertured for the passage of said casing 6; the latter being spun over the wall of the aperture, as indicated at 17. In addition, the plate 16 carries the casing 10, which may be secured to the plate 16 in the same manner as the casing 6. The plate 16 may be held in place by a screw plug 18 against which the anvil 13 also abuts. The construction of the anvil receiving the cap and the manner of secur-.

ing the time fuse therein with a venting washer 14 is similar to and may be exactly like the arrangement disclosed in my pending application, filed February 18, 1916, Serial No. 79,1410.

At the opposite end of the grenade shell, a shoulder 30 is provided, and seated on this shoulder is a cupped member 31 having a tubular flange 32 threaded at 33 into the upper end of the casing 6 and between which and a shoulder 3 1 on the firing pin 8, the coiled spring 9 is confined. Mounted on top of the cupped member is a disk or plate 35, which is held in position and confined in place by a screw cap or plug 36 closing the end of the shell.

The upper end of the firing pin 8 is provided with a shouldered head 37. and, as indicated in the drawings, this head is engaged by supporting members or latches 38 of a peculiar shape, which are disposed in slots 39 formed in the plate 35; each of said latches having a foot 40 adapted to engage the head of the firing pin, and a shoulder 41 resting upon said disk or plate 35.

;sary,;to hurl the grenade, it is only necessary to press n theloc kmg pin 5O soas tobrlng I flange-engaging position, T

vent displacement and limit its outward movement. This cocking "member may have its outer surface partially, roughened and substantially, flush with the contourpf said Pl g, .36, and it. 33 provided with aninjwardly projecting.portion 49 which, when the cock ingmember s normally disposed in the inward., po siti on, spreads or) se1i) a .rates the latches 38 snpporting the firing .pin 8. The cocking ineinber ,45 is maintained in this position by ineans of a locking-pin fiO haying a head 51. engaging the'flange48 of the cooking 1nem'ber; which flange may: be grooved at .52,., to accommodate said'head. Thelocking-piir is preferablymounted in a boss'53,,forn1ed on topbf the. screw plug 3 6, and; it may be held, inthe locking position bythe engagement of the groove 52 of the ,fiange .48 with its head 5 l against the tension of a, spring 54.]. 4

The. lc-ek'ng-p in 50, 15

preferably maintained in, the. flangeengaging. position whereby tl ewfirlng. mechanlsm of the grenade is held in. a. .sa fety condition b 7 a a NY a safety retaining pin, which passes through the plug fifi closingthejend'of the grenade. When, itis desired to ,hurl the grenade, the safety retainingpin 55 is ifem'ovedpthe fin- 4O ger of the, operatorbemg maintained upon the end. of the cock ing member 45, so as j to hold its inwardlyprojecting portion 49 in the latch-engaging position, and slight deressionor movement of said cocking mem- Ber. against the. pressure of the spring 46 .will-relieve the head 51 ,of the, locking-pin 50 from the grooyiebQ, and said piirfijt) will Jae-moved outwardly byitsspring 54.

; ThedatchesBS, however, ,are still he lldlin their separated position, .maintaining' the firing pin 8 outrof I action, the inwardly projecting port-ion, .4 9 of the cock ng mem- ..,-ber.45 ,Uponahurlmg the.grenade,.however,

the spring 46 will force the cooking member outwardly, thereby, releasing the latches 38,

which. in turn release the firing pin 8; A: .whereuponsaid firing pin will be forcibly moved by the, spring 9 into contact with the Ito release the latches u'pon (sharia-(1 movement thereofpan d a retaining Member carried by the sh'elland movable iii""t'he"\val:l of

primaryhfiringtcap, as fullydescribed in my pending applleatlons above referred to.

i If, for; any reason, it should be unnecesits head 51 into and restore the safety retaining pin 55 to the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3; thereby maintaining the inwardly projectingi portion 49 of the cocking member in the latch-spreading or separating position.

7 The locking-pin 50 and its spring are preferably mounted in a little thimble or sleeve 56 adapted to a socket 557 in the boss 53 of the screw plug 36. In forming this socket the arched wall of the screw plug 36 is preferably pierced as clearlyshown in Figs. 1 and 2, and by slightly pee'ning over the inner end of the thirnble, as indicated at 58, said thimble may be firmly held in place.

It will be understood, of course, that other suitable means of holding'this locking-pin in operative position may 'be'en'iploye'd; the essential thing being provision whereby it may engage and temporarily hold the cockmember in the latch retaining p'ositioi andshape'd to acconimodate" the safety retaining pin which holds'said "locking-pin with its head 51 in engagement with the flange 48 of s aidcocking'niember;

this application"possesses" matter in common with an application" filed by me March 16, 1916 Serial 'No.'84,(l00, it to be ti eated as a continuation of said priorappl ication asfar as the common subject-matter is concerned. Iclaimf 1 The combination with an explosive shell such asa liandgrenadeand explosive means within suclrshell', ofa cocking device manually movable pin the end of the "shell and 'comprls ng a shouldered "member having inwardly and outwardly "projecting portrons; said c'ockmg, device bemgkles'igned for outward'movement to release parts controlling the firing of the explosive means,

and radially'inovable retaining means carried by the shell and movable in thefwall of and manually operable fro'm the' exterior of the sameto engage the shoulderbf the cocking device; said retaining means being movable at right angles to the line of movement of the cooking device and holding the latter to maintain said explosive firing p'a'rt's in- .active when in engagement with its shoulder.

2. The dombinatioii with an" explosive shell such as hand grenade, explosive means within said shelland a firing pin toact upon sald explosive means, of a pluralrtyof "latches ifor normally supporting the firing pin in the inactive position,a"cocking"device movablein the end'of the' shelland comprising ashouldered memberh'avi'ng zi'n inw'ardly projectingportion to "scparate said latches; said cockingdevice'being designed the same for'engagin'g the shoulder "of the cooking device;'said'retaining member bein manually operable froi'ntheexteriorof the shell and holding said cocking device by enmeans within said shell, of a cocking device comprising a shouldered member having a portion projecting beyond said shell; said shell con' prising a hollow body havingexplococking device being designed for outward movement to release parts controlling the firing of the explosive means, and means for holding said cocking device in the inward position to maintain said fire-controlling parts inactive; said cocking device being inwardly movable to release its holding means.

12. The combination with an explosive shell such as a hand grenade and explosive .means within said shell, of a cocking device I comprising a shouldered member having a manually operable portion projecting beyond said shell; said cocking device being"; designed for outward movement to release parts controlling the firing ofthe explosive means, and a releasable pin for holding said cocking device in 'the inward position to maintain said fire-controlling parts mactive; said cocking device being inwardly movable to free said releasable pin therefrom.

13. The combination with an explosive shell eomprising'a hollow body and explosive means within the same, of a cocking de-Q v vice comprising a shouldered member havmg a portion pro ectmg beyond said shell; said cocklng device belng designed for outward movement to release parts control- I ling the firing of the explosive means, and a p111 for engagement with the shoulder of the cocking device to hold the same in the inward posltlon to maintam said fire-eontrolhng parts inactive; sald cocking device being inwardly movable to release said pin therefrom.

14. The combination with an explosive I;

shell comprising a hollow body and explosive means within the same, of a firing pin, a cooking device comprising a shouldered releasable means for engagement with the shoulder of the cocking device to hold the same in theinward position whereby the firing pin may be held in the inactive position; said cocking device being inwardly pin in the inactive posi-1 pin, a thimble or movable .to free,saidreleasable means from the shoulder thereof.

15. The combination with an QXPlOSIVG shellcomprising a hollow body having eX-q plosivemeans within thesame and a firing pin therefor, of acoeking device comprising a shouldered member having a portion projecting outwardly beyond said shell;

said cocking device being designed forpoutward movement to release parts supporting, the firing pin of the explosive means; the jsh oulder of said cocking device being "grooved; a safety locking pin having a head engaging said groovedshoulder to hold the cooking device in. engagement with the firing pin supports,a spring for displacing Isaid s afety locking pin upon further slight inward movementof the cooking device and a spring for movingsaid cocking device outward to releasethe firing pin supporting ineans and render said firing pin active. 17.}.The combination. withv an explosive shell comprising a hollow body and explosive means within the same,,- of a cocking device comprising a shouldered member having a portion projecting beyond said shell; said cocking device being designed for outward movement to release parts controlling the firing of the explosive means, a pin for engagement withthe shoulder of the cooking device to hold the. same in the inward position,to maintain said firing parts inactive, a spring for displacing said shell for holding the pin and spring, and means for holding said thim ble in position in the wall of-the explosive shell.

HARRY E. ASBURY.

Copies of thispate nt may be obtained for five cents each by addressing the. Commissioner-of Patents.

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